Among the new centres, which join the 91 already confirmed in November 2013 and January 2014, there will be a CDT in materials for demanding environments at the University of Manchester, and a CDT in critical resource catalysis at the University of St Andrews. The additional CDTs will train a further 1100 students over the next four years.

The centres are to be funded from the £106 million investment allocated to research councils in the most recent UK Budget, as well as collaborations with universities and industrial partners to the tune of £70 million. So far, the combined public and private investment in CDT amounts to over £950 million, including over £500 million from government.

‘The CDT model has proved highly popular with universities and industry and these new centres will mean that the UK is even better placed to maintain the vital supply of trained scientists and engineers,’ said Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council chief executive David Delpy in a statement. ‘We have been working hard with universities and partners to ensure that as many centres as possible can be supported.’